Mayavati in Lucknow on Thursday. (PTI)

Lucknow, Dec. 25: The engineer allegedly murdered by a Bahujan Samaj Party MLA was beaten mercilessly, given electric shocks and had tufts of his hair pulled out, sources today said quoting the post-mortem report.

“M.K. Gupta had 32 injuries including a head injury leading to (fatal) brain haemorrhage, and a hand fracture,” Auraiya chief medical officer Karan Singh was quoted as saying by PTI. He mentioned “signs of electric shocks being given to Gupta”.

A police officer in Auraiya, where the murder occurred, said: “There were injuries to his head, hands, back, abdomen, shoulder and private parts. Perhaps rifle butts and lathis were used. His hair was pulled out in clumps.”

Gupta, 48, a PWD executive engineer, had allegedly resisted MLA Shekhar Tiwari’s demands to prematurely release payment so a contractor could pay a Rs 50-lakh “donation” towards Mayavati’s birthday.

Additional director-general of police Brij Lal said the MLA and two associates, Manoj Awasthi and Vinay Tiwari, had been arrested and sent to 14 days’ judicial remand.

Mayavati claimed credit for the MLA’s arrest but denied he was extorting money for her birthday celebrations, alleging an Opposition plot to defame her. She seized on the police statement of Gupta’s wife Shashi to claim the murder was the fallout of “rivalry” among PWD engineers.

Shashi, who was locked inside the bathroom by the attackers, said she heard them address one another as “Bhatia” and “Tyagi”, which happen to be the names of two engineers working under Gupta.

State police chief Vikram Singh said: “The role of engineers in the department is under probe.” Lal said police would soon arrest Bhatia and Tyagi, who are in hiding, as are the MLA’s bodyguards.

Mayavati dismissed Shashi’s demand for a CBI probe, saying: “My government is the quickest to react. I have sent my MLA to jail; what more can one expect?”

“What do you have to say,” she asked, “now that engineers of the department have been found to be involved?”

BSP sources said Mayavati had, like every year, asked party MLAs and other officials to collect “donations” for her birthday bash on January 15, fixing a Rs 3-lakh quota for each. But the chief minister said: “Opposition parties are linking this to my birthday to settle political scores.”

She announced the BSP would celebrate her 53rd birthday as Dhikkar Divas (Condemnation Day) — instead of the usual donation-tainted Arthik Sahacharjya Divas (Financial Assistance Day) — to protest the “conspiracy”.

Shashi said: “I had approached the police and met a minister to stop the harassment. I even asked my husband to give up his job…. He was screaming during the torture. I feel so frustrated that I was not carrying my cellphone (in the bathroom).”

Rahul Gandhi rang Gupta’s son Pratish, 14, to express condolences during the cremation. Pratish has a younger sister.